- The ODI World Cup win for India has increased the brand value of women cricketers by more than 50%
- Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, and Jemimah Rodrigues are some of the most sought-after players
Following India's ODI World Cup triumph, women's cricketers have observed a rise in their brand value of more than 50 percent.
Cricketers such as Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, and Jemimah Rodrigues are attracting interest from brands for endorsement deals, some reports indicate to be even higher than ₹1 crore per cricketer.
The victory of the women's team has helped to establish the cultural acknowledgement of its players around the world, not just in the game itself, but also in new commercial opportunities that have previously been reserved for their male counterparts.
Brands of all kinds, automotive companies, and even finance, to lifestyle or beauty brands, all aspire to work with the women cricket stars and feature them in their commercial promotional media.
In simple terms, a brand value is merely a cricketer's market value beyond performance. A cricketer's brand value is representative of the value brands are willing to invest to incorporate their product into a player's recognition, reputation, and popularity. Generally, the higher the value the cricketer has, the higher the endorsement deal.
After India won the World Cup, this value has increased significantly as players gained visibility and became inspirational public figures.
Their social media engagement along with good performance at the field further added to their attraction among the advertisers.
The endorsement values have multiplied since the World Cup. According to Karan Yadav, the Chief Commercial Officer at JSW Sports, which manages Jemimah Rodrigues among other players, the endorsement value of India's top women cricketers has at least doubled, if not tripled, since the World Cup. This growth reflects their increasing influence both within and outside the sport.
According to reports, the brand value of Jemimah Rodrigues has shot up from approximately ₹60 lakh to more than ₹1.5 crore, while that of Shafali Verma grew from about ₹40 lakh to over ₹1 crore.
Their impressive performances and growing fan base have made the two aspirational for leading brands across various industries.
